Into the Field of Suffering

This book is a useful tool for those starting their careers in medicine who are looking for anticipatory guidance in how to navigate the tumultuous waters of a decades-long career surrounded by suffering. It is a quick read, though not easy. It is moving, challenging, and thought-provoking. It reframes things in a way that feels more authentic than the common ‘prevent burnout with wellness workshops’ mentality. For those near the world’s most suffering (ICU, hospice, palliative care, PICU), this book may be a welcome friend on their journey. * Duncan L Campbell, M.D.(The Ohio State University) *

David Schenck is the former Director of the Ethics Program, Medical University of South Carolina, and was on the faculty of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is co-author of two books that approach ethics and healing in healthcare from an empirical perspective, Healers: Extraordinary Clinicians at Work (Oxford, 2015) and What Patients Teach: Everyday Ethics of Healthcare(Oxford, 2013). Schenck taught philosophy and religion for 20 years and has published widely in bioethics, philosophy, and religious studies. He was founding executive director of a free medical clinic, healthcare advocate for the homeless, and a 25-year hospice volunteer.

Scott Neely is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, South Carolina. He serves as strategist for Speaking Down Barriers, an organization that uses art and facilitated dialogue to build our life together across differences that divide us. He has helped develop LGBTQ Theologies–a network of congregations supporting LGBTQ+ people and issues in Upstate South Carolina, and the Fund to Support Latinx Immigrants–a state-wide coalition providing direct assistance to immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, he has taught at the University of South Carolina-Upstate and Wofford College.